(a) A lawyer may communicate the fact that the lawyer does or
does not practice in particular fields of law.

(b) A lawyer admitted to engage in patent practice before the
United States Patent and Trademark Office may use the designation "Patent
Attorney" or a substantially similar designation.

(c) A lawyer engaged in Admiralty practice may use the
designation "Admiralty," "Proctor in Admiralty" or substantially similar
designation.

(d) A lawyer shall not state or imply that a lawyer is
certified as a specialist in a particular field of law, unless:

(d)(1) the lawyer has been certified as a specialist by an
organization that has been approved by an appropriate state authority or that
has been accredited by the American Bar Association; and

(d)(2) the name of the certifying organization is clearly
identified in the communication.

Comment

[1] Paragraph (a) of this Rule permits a lawyer to indicate
areas of practice in communications about the lawyer’s services. If a lawyer
practices only in certain fields or will not accept matters except in a
specified field or fields, the lawyer is permitted to so indicate. A lawyer is
generally permitted to state that the lawyer is a "specialist," practices a
"specialty" or "specializes in" particular fields, but such communications are
subject to the "false and misleading" standard applied in Rule 7.1 to
communications concerning a lawyer’s services.

[2] Paragraph (b) recognizes the long-established policy of
the Patent and Trademark Office for the designation of lawyers practicing before
the Office. Paragraph (c) recognizes that designation of Admiralty practice has
a long historical tradition associated with maritime commerce and the federal
courts.

[3] Paragraph (d) permits a lawyer to state that the lawyer
is certified as a specialist in a field of law if such certification is granted
by an organization approved by an appropriate state authority or accredited by
the American Bar Association or another organization, such as a state bar
association, that has been approved by the state authority to accredit
organizations that certify lawyers as specialists. Certification signifies that
an objective entity has recognized an advanced degree of knowledge and
experience in the specialty area greater than is suggested by general licensure
to practice law. Certifying organizations may be expected to apply standards of
experience, knowledge and proficiency to insure that a lawyer’s recognition as a
specialist is meaningful and reliable. In order to insure that consumers can
obtain access to useful information about an organization granting
certification, the name of the certifying organization must be included in any
communication regarding the certification.